http://edupost.in/online-schools
Edupost - online-schoolsen-usnews@edupost.inCopyright 2016Edupost2016-09-19T07:15:42+00:00http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/edupost/online-schools/~3/LXflvH5h7m4/struggling-students-take-online-education
http://edupost.in/online-schools/read/struggling-students-take-online-education#When:07:35:16Z<p>Virtual schools have existed for years, but alternative programs like Bridgescape, where students at risk of dropping out come to brick-and-mortar schools or centers to complete a mostly online curriculum, represent a newer phenomenon.</p>
<p>Nationally, the major for-profit providers include Ombudsman, which runs more than 100 programs in 14 states, including three sites in Chicago; Catapult Academy (a division of the New Jersey&ndash;based Catapult Learning), which runs more than 20 alternative high school programs in Georgia and Florida; and AdvancePath, which runs 10 programs&nbsp;in five states. In Chicago, the main providers are Magic Johnson Bridgescape and Ombudsman, both for-profit, and Pathways, a nonprofit. Last school year more than 3,000 young Chicagoans were enrolled in one of these new programs.</p>
<p>The risk for these students is that rather than experiencing school as a social institution, they &ldquo;end up living in their own heads,&rdquo; said Chicago-based activist and educator Michael Klonsky, who teaches at DePaul University. &ldquo;The sense of community has been lost.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The new programs have transformed the nature of high school education for thousands of the nation&rsquo;s most vulnerable teenagers, turning it into a far more individual enterprise, one where socialization isn&rsquo;t even a secondary goal. More high schoolers are graduating, but the experience in Chicago shows that the country is at risk of creating two separate high school tracks: the traditional one, with all of its variety, strengths, and pitfalls; and a new, mostly virtual track for those students too many high schools have given up on&mdash;the very students who most need an engaging educational experience to prepare them for jobs and adult life.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/edupost/online-schools/~4/LXflvH5h7m4" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>2017-05-27T07:35:16+00:00http://edupost.in/online-schools/read/struggling-students-take-online-education#When:07:35:16Zhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/edupost/online-schools/~3/q_GBUFOCvRE/government-employees-can-go-back-to-school-online
http://edupost.in/online-schools/read/government-employees-can-go-back-to-school-online#When:04:00:35Z<p>The tradition of government office work included keeping all data in files and as papers. This creates a lot of struggle while trying to get previous files.Online courses were mostly popular with students and professionals on a budget looking for an Ivy League education. Thousands of young students took courses in everything from mathematical thinking to mechanics from leading U.S. universities such as Yale or Stanford without ever leaving Indian shores. But, now, leading online course providers such as U.S.-based Coursera and Simplilearn are looking beyond students and talking to the government on digital literacy programmes to help bridge the skill gap in India and prepare workers for the jobs of the future.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;The Bengaluru- and California-headquartered company has partnered with the Digital India initiative&rsquo;s National E-Governance Division to tutor government employees across the board. Under this partnership, employees will be given free access to courses on the Simplilearn platform.&nbsp;California-based Coursera is also talking to the central and state governments about bridging the skill gap in the new digital age. Its chief business officer, It launched its Coursera for Government programme in January under which it has already partnered with various governments to provide new skills from programming to English-language communication. For instance, in the U.S., it has a deal with the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University to train 1,200 transitioning service members, military spouses, and veterans. Participants will take courses in Java programming, web development, data analysis, and hotel management.</p>
<p>Closer home, Pakistani tech company Overseas Technologies and Coursera have partnered with various public institutions in Pakistan, including a government programme to train 36,000 young adults across the country. Participants will take online courses in computer science, data analytics, career success, and language learning. Coursera has also tied up with governments in Egypt, Kazakhstan, and Singapore. Rebecca Taber, head of government partnerships at Coursera, says rapid changes in technology and economy are widening the skill gap worldwide.</p>
<p>The government has also launched its own education portal called SWAYAM. Developed by the Ministry of Human Resource Development and the All India Council for Technical Education with Microsoft&rsquo;s help, the portal will host 2,000 courses and 80,000 hours of learning at the school, undergraduate, and postgraduate levels. The courses are offered by institutes such as the Indian Institute of Management, Indian Institute of Technology, and Indian Institute of Science. They are free, and certificates are offered at a small cost.</p>
<p>R. Subrahmanyam, additional secretary (technical education) with the HRD ministry, says the government chose the online route to provide the opportunity for quality education to all, especially those from backward areas. &ldquo;Though we have not formally launched SWAYAM, we are currently undertaking pilot runs with about 40,000 students and about 350 courses. We even have expression of interest from British Council and the University of New South Wales in Sydney in placing their courses on SWAYAM,&rdquo; says Subrahmanyam.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/edupost/online-schools/~4/q_GBUFOCvRE" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>2017-05-27T04:00:35+00:00http://edupost.in/online-schools/read/government-employees-can-go-back-to-school-online#When:04:00:35Zhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/edupost/online-schools/~3/941xf7nroRM/state-board-finalizes-path-for-aurora-central-hope-online-schools
http://edupost.in/online-schools/read/state-board-finalizes-path-for-aurora-central-hope-online-schools#When:11:07:00Z<p>he State Board of Education on Wednesday voted to finalize proposals presented last month to improve Aurora Central High School and HOPE Online charter schools.</p>
<p>Board member Steve Durham opposed both plans. Board member Rebecca McClellan opposed the plan for HOPE Online.</p>
<p>The&nbsp;proposal for Aurora Central&nbsp;is to continue following a plan to give the school more autonomy while getting help from an outside company.</p>
<p>Under the proposed plan for HOPE Online&nbsp;charter schools, which only applies to the low-performing elementary and middle schools, the charter will work with a former state education department official to help recruit and better train teachers. It will also appoint new board members.</p>
<p>HOPE is the state&rsquo;s only charter school facing state intervention this year.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/edupost/online-schools/~4/941xf7nroRM" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>2017-05-11T11:07:00+00:00http://edupost.in/online-schools/read/state-board-finalizes-path-for-aurora-central-hope-online-schools#When:11:07:00Zhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/edupost/online-schools/~3/ThlRLIZUX9A/act-schools-pull-out-of-online-naplan-testing
http://edupost.in/online-schools/read/act-schools-pull-out-of-online-naplan-testing#When:08:25:58Z<p>The ACT has withdrawn from testing the online system&nbsp;of the National Assessment Program Literacy And Numeracy&nbsp;due to concerns about the potential for technical issues.</p>
<p>The territory was expected to lead the nation in trialling the new system which will be implemented in every school in Australia by 2019.</p>
<p>Acting Education Minister Gordon Ramsay announced the ACT would no longer participate on Wednesday&nbsp;following similar announcements from&nbsp;Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland.</p>
<p>This means no schools will use the system this year with&nbsp;students in grades three, five, seven&nbsp;and nine to instead complete the literacy and numeracy tests in May using pen and paper.</p>
<p>"We need to administer the assessments in a way that enables learning to continue productively and without creating unnecessary stress for children, while providing the most value," Mr Ramsay said.</p>
<p>"The technical systems required for NAPLAN online testing are not ready and there is too great a risk that problems with it could arise.</p>
<p>"We won&#39;t roll out NAPLAN online testing until we have confidence that the system is also ready."</p>
<p>An ACT government spokeswoman added:&nbsp;"In the ACT, we were confident that our schools had been comprehensively prepared for NAPLAN Online."</p>
<p>The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, which administers NAPLAN, said&nbsp;confidence in the readiness of the online platform to deliver the tests was "of&nbsp;the utmost importance".</p>
<p>"While it is disappointing that the initial 10 per cent [of] schools in the five states and territories&nbsp;that had planned to begin moving online in 2017 now will not be doing so, we want NAPLAN&nbsp;Online to be successful for everyone," chief executive Robert Randall said.</p>
<p>"I respect the decision of states and territories to delay the transition to allow more time to gain a greater level of confidence for the move online."</p>
<p>Schools will be able to participate in a readiness test in August and September.&nbsp;Mr Ramsay said the ACT would continue to work towards online testing within the three-year transition period.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/edupost/online-schools/~4/ThlRLIZUX9A" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>2017-04-22T08:25:58+00:00http://edupost.in/online-schools/read/act-schools-pull-out-of-online-naplan-testing#When:08:25:58Zhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/edupost/online-schools/~3/ScahFNJ8-S8/kerala-govt-announces-free-wifi-for-20-lakh-citizens
http://edupost.in/online-schools/read/kerala-govt-announces-free-wifi-for-20-lakh-citizens#When:05:06:20Z<p>Internet has become as basic a necessity as any other commodity. Keeping up with the changing times, the Kerala government has announced an initiative in this budget to provide free internet connections to 20 lakh citizens. This was announced by Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Issac in the budget session for 2017-2018 on March 3, 2017.</p>
<p>Internet access was declared a basic right like water, food, and education for every citizen of Kerala. In this, Kerala has taken a step in the direction provided by the UN.</p>
<p>The government has already done some planning to ensure that concrete actions are taken in this regard. As per the plan, the government wants to give free internet access to 20 lakh citizens and also extend the broadband connectivity to almost every house in the state. The project is being called K-Fon, and the plan is to lay out optical fibre cables parallel to the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) lines all across the state.</p>
<p>The project is expected to be completed in 18 months, and it has been allocated a sum of Rs 1,000 crore. The project aims to ensure free internet access using WiFi hotspots at Akshaya centres, Janasevana Kendras, government offices, libraries, and public places.</p>
<p>Kerala is the state with the highest literacy rate, and the government has understood and recognised the importance of internet access in times when everything, including governance, is going digital. This step will hopefully draw the attention of others towards the digital policies of India.</p>
<p><strong>Some other major announcements from the Kerala Govt. include:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>12 hardware manufacturing parks would be established in the state, to make Kerala a hub of IT and ITeS niches</li>
<li>Japanese-Korean industrial cluster would be established at Mavoor</li>
<li>Rs 549 crore allocated for the creation of IT parks, Technoparks, SEZs, Infoparks, Cyberparks and Techno-Lodges</li>
<li>Kerala State Govt. will provide financial help and mentorship to 1500 startups from the state</li>
</ul>
<p>This year, Kerala Govt. created a new benchmark for other states, when they&nbsp;saved&nbsp;Rs 300 crore by using Free &amp; Open Source Software (FOSS) in all schools in the state.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/edupost/online-schools/~4/ScahFNJ8-S8" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>2017-03-15T05:06:20+00:00http://edupost.in/online-schools/read/kerala-govt-announces-free-wifi-for-20-lakh-citizens#When:05:06:20Zhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/edupost/online-schools/~3/PiCSPUphDt8/virtual-tutors-help-india-in-vanishing-educational-gaps
http://edupost.in/online-schools/read/virtual-tutors-help-india-in-vanishing-educational-gaps#When:04:51:44Z<p>High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut &amp; paste the article. See our T&amp;Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights.<br />
Ripan Dutta, 23, spent a year working as a software developer after graduating from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology Bombay in 2015. But he soon wearied of writing code, and decided to aspire to a more senior role in product management, co-ordinating the teams that were developing, designing and marketing software products.</p>
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<p>Normally such jobs only come with an MBA or after long years of software industry experience. But Mr Dutta wanted to jump-start his career and signed up for a five-month course in software product management with UpGrad, a start-up that offers online professional education programmes. The course, which costs Rs150,000 ($2,230), teaches aspiring product managers to assess consumers&rsquo; underlying needs, shepherd development of user-centred technology products and assess a product&rsquo;s effectiveness. The programme is not simply offering digital lessons: Mr Dutta, who has a full-time job at a Delhi-based travel tech start-up, is also personally mentored by a senior IT professional from a large Indian online travel booking site. &ldquo;It is helping me a lot in terms of what are the concepts, and what are the things I need to build a good product,&rdquo; Mr Dutta says. &ldquo;You can also ask the mentor whether you have experienced something like this, or at what stage you have used this.&rdquo; UpGrad is one of a growing number of educational technology ventures trying to plug the gaps in India&rsquo;s education system. There is an increasing demand for knowledge from a young population, but at every level of its education system &mdash; from primary schools to universities &mdash; India suffers from an acute shortage of qualified, effective teachers and relevant course material. These deficiencies have left tens of millions of schoolchildren unable to read or do maths to their grade level, while many college graduates lack skills relevant to India&rsquo;s job market, or their own professional aspirations.</p>
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<br />
Entrepreneurs, investors and educators are looking to technology to bring more effective education to students &mdash; especially those in remote locations &mdash; with a limited pool of teachers. UpGrad, which launched in 2015, has had about 2,000 students enrol on its entrepreneurship, digital marketing, data analytics and product management courses. It expects to widen its offerings and increase its student numbers in the coming year. Bangalore-based Edutel uses two-way satellite technology to beam live lessons by specialist teachers in science, maths and English to about 2,000 primary and secondary schools in the southern state of Karnataka, and is now hoping to expand its reach. &ldquo;When we are trying to solve the kind of challenges we face today, we need some level of standardisation in our delivery, which is only possible through technology,&rdquo; says Prachi Jain Windlass, director of Indian education at the Michael &amp; Susan Dell Foundation, which is an investor in Edutel.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/edupost/online-schools/~4/PiCSPUphDt8" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>2017-02-17T04:51:44+00:00http://edupost.in/online-schools/read/virtual-tutors-help-india-in-vanishing-educational-gaps#When:04:51:44Zhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/edupost/online-schools/~3/rJBNICNpsAM/students-invited-to-enroll-at-kansas-online-schools-for-2017-18-school-year
http://edupost.in/online-schools/read/students-invited-to-enroll-at-kansas-online-schools-for-2017-18-school-year#When:09:17:53Z<p>Kansas Virtual Academy and Insight School of Kansas, both tuition-free online public school programs of Spring Hill School District available to students throughout the state of Kansas, are now accepting applications for the 2017-18 academic year. Both programs are accredited by the Kansas State Department of Education.</p>
<p>Kansas Virtual Academy&nbsp;(KSVA) serves students in kindergarten through sixth grade. The school&rsquo;s mission is to help students discover, develop and achieve their maximum learning potential, and the online environment allows students to work at their own pace within parameters.</p>
<p>Kansas students in grades 7-12, as well as adult learners, are welcome to attend&nbsp;Insight School of Kansas&nbsp;(ISKS). The school&rsquo;s comprehensive education approach focuses on providing students with the academic, social and emotional support needed to succeed in school and beyond. ISKS serves middle and high school students of all abilities and also provides targeted support for struggling students. Qualified students can also take college-level courses and earn high school credit at the same time through concurrent enrollment. Adult students who have attended high school for five years or more without graduating have the chance to earn a high school diploma.</p>
<p>KSVA and ISKS serve families who seek alternatives to traditional brick-and-mortar education. Through live and recorded class sessions that are accessed online, students and their teachers can engage and interact as if they were sitting together in a traditional classroom. Students also complete schoolwork using hands-on educational materials that are shipped to their homes.</p>
<p>State-certified teachers provide instruction, guidance and support, interacting with students and families via email, web-based classrooms, online discussions, phone and face-to-face meetings. This ensures that students and their families feel supported yet challenged in their education in a way that may be different for every student.</p>
<p>During the enrollment period, both schools will be conducting online and in-person information sessions throughout the state. Interested families are encouraged to attend to meet teachers, staff and other families and to learn more about the award-winning curriculum provided by K12 Inc., the nation&rsquo;s leading K-12 online curriculum provider.</p>
<p>About Kansas Virtual Academy</p>
<p>Kansas Virtual Academy (KSVA) is an accredited, full-time online public school program of the Spring Hill School District that serves Kansas students in grades K-6. As part of the Kansas public school system, KSVA is tuition-free, giving parents and families the choice to access the award-winning curriculum and tools provided by K12 Inc. (LRN), the nation&rsquo;s largest provider of proprietary online curriculum and online education programs. For more information about KSVA, visit&nbsp;http://ksva.k12.com.</p>
<p>About Insight School of Kansas</p>
<p>Insight School of Kansas (ISKS) is an accredited, full-time online public school that serves Kansas students in grades 7-12. As part of the Kansas public school system, ISKS is tuition-free, giving parents and families the choice to access the award-winning curriculum and tools provided by K12 Inc. (LRN), the nation&rsquo;s largest provider of proprietary online curriculum and online education programs. For more information about ISKS, visit&nbsp;http://ks.insightschools.net.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/edupost/online-schools/~4/rJBNICNpsAM" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>2017-02-06T09:17:53+00:00http://edupost.in/online-schools/read/students-invited-to-enroll-at-kansas-online-schools-for-2017-18-school-year#When:09:17:53Zhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/edupost/online-schools/~3/eFt0ZfRShiw/three-colorado-online-schools-accepting-applications-for-2017-18-academic-y
http://edupost.in/online-schools/read/three-colorado-online-schools-accepting-applications-for-2017-18-academic-y#When:12:24:25Z<p>Three online schools in Colorado &ndash; Colorado Preparatory Academy, Destinations Career Academy of Colorado and Pikes Peak Online School &ndash; are now accepting applications for the 2017-18 academic year. All three schools are tuition-free, full-time online public schools for students throughout the state of Colorado.</p>
<p>Colorado Preparatory Academy&nbsp;(CPA), which serves students in kindergarten through 12th grade, specializes in programs designed specifically for advanced learners using the award-winning curriculum from K12 Inc., the nation&rsquo;s leading online K-12 curriculum provider. College-minded students can choose from a broad range of courses in order to gain a competitive edge for the future and discover their path after high school. CPA also gives students the opportunity to earn college credit while still in high school and offers a post-secondary preparedness program that ensures students attending the school are prepared for college.</p>
<p>Destinations Career Academy of Colorado&nbsp;(CODCA) is the only online, Colorado Department of Education-approved Career Technical Education (CTE) program in the state and teaches students in grades 6-12 career and employment skills while they are still in high school. CODCA offers courses in the fields of health science, business, and information technology, offering students the opportunity to explore career fields both in and out of the classroom. Students prepare to earn technical credentials and may earn college credits and gain workplace experience while in high school. Other learning opportunities include interview preparation, team collaboration and effective communication. Graduates from CODCA are well prepared to enter a 4 year college, 2 year college, or the work force.</p>
<p>The comprehensive education approach provided at&nbsp;Pikes Peak Online School&nbsp;(PPOS) focuses on providing struggling students in grades 9-12 with the academic, social and emotional support needed to reach graduation. In the event that a student is deficient in course credit, the school&rsquo;s extensive credit recovery courses allow a student to get back on track for a successful graduation. Students take benchmark assessments at the beginning of the school year to identify strengths and challenges, and the results are used to develop an individually tailored learning plan for the student. For many students, this Individualized Learning Plan (ILP) expands beyond current academic objectives to include post-secondary goals for college or a career. In addition, the online curriculum is bolstered by a Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) program, as well as a family support team to help students achieve success both academically and personally.</p>
<p>All three schools serve families and students who seek alternatives to traditional brick-and-mortar education. Through live and recorded class sessions that are accessed online, students and their teachers can engage and interact as if they were sitting together in a traditional classroom. Students also complete schoolwork using hands-on educational materials that are shipped to their home.</p>
<p>Each student is supported by state-certified teachers who monitor student progress while providing professional insight and instruction. Teachers communicate with students via phone, email and the online classroom technology in order to provide an individualized approach that helps prepare students for career or college success. Teachers aim to establish a partnership with parents, so the students benefit from a strong network of support.</p>
<p>The online curriculum is rigorous and engaging, including courses in language arts/English, math, science, history, world languages, art and music. In addition, CPA and CODCA offer Advanced Placement&reg;&nbsp;courses for high school students.</p>
<p>During the enrollment period, all three schools will be conducting online and in-person information sessions throughout the state. Interested families are encouraged to attend to meet teachers, staff and other families and to learn more about the award-winning online curriculum provided by K12.</p>
<p>For more information, visit the schools&rsquo; websites at&nbsp;cpa.k12.com,&nbsp;codca.k12.com&nbsp;and&nbsp;ppos.k12.com.</p>
<p>About Colorado Preparatory Academy</p>
<p>Authorized by the Colorado Board of Cooperative Education Services (CD BOCES) Colorado Preparatory Academy (CPA) is an accredited, full-time online public school that serves Colorado students statewide in grades K-12. As part of the Colorado public school system, CPA is tuition-free, giving parents and families the choice to access the award-winning curriculum and tools provided by K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the nation&rsquo;s largest provider of proprietary curriculum and online education programs. For more information about CPA, visit&nbsp;http://cpa.k12.com.</p>
<p>About Destinations Career Academy of Colorado</p>
<p>Destinations Career Academy of Colorado (CODCA) is an accredited, full-time online public school program that serves Colorado students in grades 6-12. As part of the Colorado public school system, CODCA is tuition-free, giving parents and families the choice to access the award-winning curriculum and tools provided by K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the nation&rsquo;s largest provider of proprietary curriculum and education programs. For more information about CODCA, visit&nbsp;http://codca.k12.com.</p>
<p>About Pikes Peak Online School</p>
<p>Pikes Peak Online School (PPOS) is an accredited, full-time online public school that serves Colorado students in grades 9-12. As part of the Colorado public school system, PPOS is tuition-free, giving parents and families the choice to access the award-winning curriculum and tools provided by K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the nation&rsquo;s largest provider of proprietary curriculum and online education programs. For more information about PPOS, visit&nbsp;http://ppos.k12.com.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/edupost/online-schools/~4/eFt0ZfRShiw" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>2017-01-17T12:24:25+00:00http://edupost.in/online-schools/read/three-colorado-online-schools-accepting-applications-for-2017-18-academic-y#When:12:24:25Zhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/edupost/online-schools/~3/QVf6tVs_iv8/more-than-100-free-schools-take-lessons-in-temporary-sites
http://edupost.in/online-schools/read/more-than-100-free-schools-take-lessons-in-temporary-sites#When:03:36:28Z<p>Labour has accused the government of failing pupils after figures showed children at more than 100 free schools in England are doing lessons in temporary, makeshift buildings.</p>
<p>The figures revealed by the Department for Education show that about one in four free schools &ndash; set up independently by parents or community groups &ndash; do not have a permanent home.</p>
<p>One establishment has been in temporary accommodation for at least five years, and roughly half of all the 429 free schools in the country have been in makeshift buildings at some point.</p>
<p>Mike Kane, shadow schools minister, said it showed the government&rsquo;s schools policy was in disarray.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Their flagship policies are failing, and children and parents are paying the price,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Time and again ministers fixate on the name above the door rather than ensuring schools have the resources and teachers in the classroom to deliver an excellent education for all.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Their free school failure means children in unsuitable temporary classrooms disrupting their education and threatening school standards.&rdquo;</p>
<p>A Department for Education spokesperson disputed the accusations, saying free schools are creating thousands of good-quality school places for children, many in disadvantaged areas.</p>
<p>&ldquo;In some cases, particularly in cities where property prices are at a premium, it can take time to secure a permanent, high-quality site that meets the needs of the school and provides value for the taxpayer,&rdquo; the spokesman said.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We are taking a number of steps to streamline the process for acquiring permanent sites, including the establishment of LocatED &ndash; a new public body with property expertise that will be responsible for securing free school sites quickly and more efficiently.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The department said it has a stringent set of criteria to assess whether a school should open in temporary accommodation, based on examining the length of time it is likely to take to deliver the project&rsquo;s permanent site, evaluating the viability of any proposed temporary solution, and testing whether there is clear evidence of demand for places in the area. It said all temporary accommodation is safe and suitable for educational purposes.</p>
<p>However, the DfE is understood to be looking to reduce the number of free schools going into temporary accommodation.</p>
<p>Free schools&nbsp;were brought in by former prime minister David Cameron and Michael Gove, then education secretary, who said they wanted to increase choice for parents.</p>
<p>Theresa May also backs free schools, saying they have been a huge success and are part of an education system fit for the future along with her plans to allow the expansion of grammar schools.</p>
<p>However, the government has been&nbsp;criticised by Labour&nbsp;for giving funding to free schools to be set up in areas where there are already enough school places.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/edupost/online-schools/~4/QVf6tVs_iv8" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>2016-12-22T03:36:28+00:00http://edupost.in/online-schools/read/more-than-100-free-schools-take-lessons-in-temporary-sites#When:03:36:28Zhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/edupost/online-schools/~3/FpRB20g3GZU/online-classes-available-for-refugees-immigrants
http://edupost.in/online-schools/read/online-classes-available-for-refugees-immigrants#When:06:38:07Z<p>A new initiative is in place to help refugees and immigrants through technology.</p>
<p>The Refugee Center Online (RCO) will soon offer free online GED and citizenship preparation courses for refugees and immigrants in Salem and Portland, as well as rural areas across the state.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We are excited and proud to (launch)&nbsp;our new online classroom ... (and) help so many of our new neighbors advance their educations and become citizens,&rdquo; said Jessica Marks, founder and co-president of the Portland-based Refugee Center Online.</p>
<p>Salem tackles issues facing local refugees</p>
<p>The online classroom was created for low-literacy and second language learners, according to a Refugee Center Online press release.&nbsp;As an online resource, the classroom allows newcomers to learn anywhere, at any time.</p>
<p>&ldquo;For most refugees, the most important thing is getting an education, an opportunity many of us lost because of war, because of trying to survive,&rdquo; said Mohamud Noor, Refugee Center Online board member.</p>
<p>A recently acquired grant will be used to enroll at least 10,000 foreign-born Oregonians in the GED and citizenship programs over the next two years, according to the release.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Nonprofit and community organizations in Oregon already offer tremendous in-person support to refugees and immigrants&rdquo; said Marks. &ldquo;By adding our new online classroom and mobile resources, we will, together, be able to reach an even larger number of newcomers.&rdquo;</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/edupost/online-schools/~4/FpRB20g3GZU" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>2016-12-21T06:38:07+00:00http://edupost.in/online-schools/read/online-classes-available-for-refugees-immigrants#When:06:38:07Z